4- GOINGS ON ABOUT TOWN Russo II, and the stars are Gabriel Dell and Danny Aiello (Little Theatre, 240 W 44th St. 730-0850. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 7 :30. Matinées Saturdays at 2 and Sundays at 3.) ME AND BESSIE-A vigorous, if eventually disap- pointing. attell1pt by the gospel-and-blues singer Linda Hopkins to re-create Bessie Smith by inging a batch of her songs (in the alternating voices of Bessie, Dinah Wash- ington, and Mahalia Jackson), dressing up in cloche hats and feather boas that wear her, and giving an esoteric biographical patter. But there are moments, particularly in uch numbers as "T'aint Nobody's Bizness If I Do" and "Kitchen Man," when Hopkins' singing and acting synchronize and the great Bessie materializes The music is played by a capable small group led by Howlett Smith. (EdIson, 240 \V 47th St. 757-7164. Wednes- days through Saturdays at 8 Matinées Wednesdays at 2, Saturdays at 2:30, and SunddY at 2 :30 and 5 :30.) A MUSICAL JUBILEE-What are known as sea- soned performers, in an unseasonable ll1Ïsh- mash of a show. (St. James, 246 W 44th St. 695-5 8 5 8 . ight1y, except Sundays, at 8. Matinées \l\,T ednesdays and Saturdays at 2.) THE NORMAN CONQUESTs-Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Ken Howard, Estelle Par- sons, Barry Nelson, and Carole Shelley in Alan Ayckbourn's trilogy of comedies, im- ported from London. Directed by Eric Tho111pson. TABLE MANNERS: Friday, Dec. 5, at 8 (preview); Sunday, Dec. 7, at 12:30 (open- ing); Monday, Dec. 8, and Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 8; clnd Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2. . . . LIVING TOGETHER: Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 (preview); Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3:45 (open- ing); and Tuesday, Dec. 9, as well as Thurs- day, Dec. II, and Saturday, Dec. 13, all at 8. . . . ROUND AND ROUND THE GARDEN: Saturday, Dec 6, at 8 (preview); Sunday, Dec. 7, at 7: 1 5 (opening); Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 2; and Friday, Dec. 12, at 8. (Morosco, 215 W. 45th St. 246-6 2 30.) PHÈDRE-Racine's play presented, in French, by Le Tréteau de Paris. (American Place, I I I W. 46th St. Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 8-9, at 7:30; \Vednesday, Dec. 10, at 2 and 7:3 0 ; fhursday and Friday, Dec. IJ-I2, at 7:3 0 ; Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 and 7:30; and Sun- day, Dec. 14, at 2. For tickets, call 644- 1820.) SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR-. slick and sentlll1ental cOll1edy about happy marriages and a single twenty-five-year-long, happy adultery, prac- ticed annually. With Loretta Swit and Ted Bessell. (Brooks Atkinson, 256 W. 47th St. 245-3430. Nightly, except Sundays, at 8. Matinées Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 ) SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH-Irene Worth and Christo- pher Walken in a two-week engagement of Tennessee Williams' play. Directed by Edwin Sherin. Opens Wednesday, Dec. 3, and will run through Sunday, Dec. 14. (Brooklyn .i\cadell1Y of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave. 636- 4100. Opening-night curtain at 7; thereafter, Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8, and Sun- day at 7 :30. Matinées Saturdays and Sunday at 2.) TRAVESTIEs-The King's English as fev kings have ever been able to "peak it. An exceed- ingly witty play by Tom Stoppard, acted to perfection by John Wood (David Dukes sub- stitutes for him at the Wednesday matinées) in the leading role. (Ethel Barrymore, 243 \V. 47th St 246-0300. Nightly, except Sun- days. at 8. Matinées Wednesdays and Satur- days at 2.) TREEMONISHA- There is one graceful and attrac- tive number in this Scott Joplin "opera," and it's called "A.. Real Slow Drag" But it comes at the close of the show, which is long and sOll1nolent and has been fattened up with a mini-ballet, a full chorus, expressionistic sets, and lots of raZZll1atazz stage business. A..nd the wheezy storv-how a young educated black woman is chosen to lead her people out of ignorance and superstition-is no help. But the singing, most of it by Carmen Balthrop (Kathleen Battle substitutes for her at the Inatinees), Betty ...A..llen, Curtis Rayam, and Willard White, is very good, and Gunther Schuller's orchestrations have resonance. (Palace, Broadway at 47th St. 717-2626. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8. Matinées Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 and Sun- days at 3. Closes Sunday, Dec. 14.) I . I , , .. ..... ;l , ' ( I // ) lfr' f IJ ' II I , I (11 jÎ1l/! S-Mer-w-r-F-S 7 , 8 , 9 I :0 I I t I I 6 IJ TUSCALOOSA'S CALLING ME, BUT I'M NOT GOING- A three-character musical revue written by Bill Heyer, Hank Beebe, and Sam Dann, with a score by Mr. Beebe and lyrics by Mr. Hey- er. (Top of the Gate, 160 Bleecker St. YU 2- 9292 Nightly, except Mondays, at 8. Mati- nées Sundays at 3.) YENTL-An awkward play about Jewish life in Poland in the nineteenth century. Taken from a story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, in which the many implausibilities of the plot must have been easier to steal past than they are onstage. (Eugene O'Neill, 230 W 49th St. 246-02 I 8 Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8. Matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2, and Sundays at 3.) LONG RUNS-ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR: Alan Ayck- bourn is a ll1aster of farce, and this play about the horrors of married life will make you laugh from start to finish. With Geral- dIne Page Sandy Dennis, Scott McKay, Paul Shyre, Marilyn Clark and Curt Dawson. (Music Box, 239 W. 45th St. 246-4636. ightly, except Sundays, at 8. Matinées Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2.). . . CANDIDE: A revival, in much altered form, of the 1956 original, with Leonard Bernstein's score and Richard Wilbur's lyrics. Harold Prince di- rected the inventive, lively performance. Be prepared to climb up ramps and steps to find a seat (Broadway Theatre, Broadway at 53rd St. 247-7992. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8. Matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2, and Sundays at 3.). .. DANCE WITH ME: The grim days and happy daydreams of a young New York nebbish A cOll1edy with music, well played by the La Mama Plexus Company. (Mayfair, 235 W. 46th St. 391-0063. Tues- days through Saturdays at 8. Matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2, and Sundays at 3.). . . EQUUS: A psychological whodunit by Peter Shaffer With Anthony Perkins. Thomas Hulce, Frances Sternhagen, Marian Seldes, and Michael Higgins The director is John Dexter. (Plymouth, 236 W. 45th St 246-9 I 56. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8. Matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2, and Sundays at 3.). . . THE FANTASTICKS: 6,497 performances so far. (Sullivan Street Play- house, 181 Sullivan St., at Bleecker St. 674- 3838. Tuesdays through Fridays at 8; Sat- urdays at 7 and 10; and Sundays at 7 :30. Matinées Sundays at 3.). . . GODSPElL: A mu- sical adaptation of the Book of Matthew, and once a numbing prologue is over, it becomes a joyful celebration of theatre itself Songs by Stephen Schwartz. (Promenade, 2162 Broadway, at 76th St. 799-7690 Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7 :30, and Satur- days at 6 and 9 Matinées Wednesdays at 2 :30 and Sundays at 2 and 5.). . . GREASE: A musical (score, book, and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey) that parodies by faithful imitation, the songs and dances of the nineteen-fifties. The young cast performs ca- pably and with spirit. (Royale, 242 W. 45th St. 245-5760. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 Matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2, and Sundays at 3.)... THE HOT L BALTIMORE: Lanford Wilson's play about the assorted seedy residents of a once good hotel, now shabby and threatened by bulldozers, is syn- thetic and sugary, but it is quite entertaining, too. (Circle in the Square, 159 Bleecker St. 254-6330. Tuesdays through Thursdays at 8; Fridays at 8:30; Saturdays at 7 and 10; and Sundays at 7 :30. Matinées Sundays at 3.). . . THE MAGIC SHOW: A wretched musical, but the magic tricks by Doug Henning ll1ake up for it all. (Cort, 138 W. 48th St. 489-6392. Wednes- days through Saturdays at 7 :30. Matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2, and Sundays at 2 and 5.).. PIPPIN: A great big show that ably conceals a tiny little musical. (Imperial, 249 W. 45th St. 265-2412 Nightly, except Sundays, at 7 :30. Matinées Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2.). . . RAISI N : Worth seeing for its appealing and gifted cast, though the book of the musical is as old-fashioned as "Uncle Ton1's Cabin ,. (Lunt-Fontanne, 205 W. 46th St. 586-5555. Wednesday through Saturday at 8. Matinees Wednesda) and Saturday at 2, and Sunday at 3. Closes Sunday, Dec. 7.). . . THE RITZ: High jinks in a low homosexual bath- house. Terrence McNally's farce is much easier to laugh at than to describe. (Long- acre, 220 W 48th St. 246-5639. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8. Matinees Wednes- days and Saturdays at 2, and Sundays at 3.) . . . SHENANDOAH: Hokum, though John Cul- IUll1 sings bravely and well. (Alvin, 250 W. 52nd St. 757-8646. Nightly, except Sundays, at 8. Matinées Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2.). . . SHERLOCK HOLMES: Frank Dunlop's hi- larious guying of the Doyle-Gillette classic, with Robert Stephens as Holmes and Alan Sues as the infamous Professor Moriarty. (Broadhurst, 235 W. 44th St. 246-6699. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8. Matinées Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2, and Sun- days at 3.). . . THE WIZ: An elaborate and most- ly successful version of "The Wizard of Oz," with an all-black cast of great talent. Di- rected by Geoffrey Holder, who also did the costumes. (Majestic, 245 W. 44th St. 246- 0730. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7 :30. Matinées Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2, and Sundays at 3. Special performance for the Actors' Fund Sunday evening, Dec. 7.) DANCE NEW YORK CITY BALLET-Performances of THE NUT... CRACKER are being presented through Sunday, Jan. 4. (N ew York State Theatre, Lincoln Center. TR 7-4727. Thursday and Friday, Dec 4-5, at 8; Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 and 8; Sunday, Dec 7, at 2 and 6; Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 9- I I, at 6; Friday, Dec. 12, at 8; and Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 and 8.) ALVIN AILEY CITY CENTER DANCE THEATRE- Wednesday evening, Dec. 3: "The Lark As- cending," "Love Songs," "Feast of Ashes," and 'The Mooche.". . fJf Thursday evening, Dec. 4: "Night Creature," "After Eden," "Echoes in Blue," and "Revelations."... fJf Friday evening, Dec. 5: "Streams," "Cry," and "Carmina Burana.".. . fJf Saturday mati- née, Dec. 6: "The Lark Ascending," "Love Songs," "Feast of Ashes," and "The Mooche.". . . fJf Saturday evening, Dec. 6 : ")Jight Creature," "After Eden," "Echoes in Blue," and "Liberian Suite."... fJf S nday matinée, Dec. 7: "Streams," "Cry, and "Carmina Burana.". . . fJf Sunday evening, Dec. 7: "Night Creature," "After Eden," "Echoes In Blue," and "Liberian Suite."... fJf Tuesday evening, Dec 9: "Hidden Rites," "Love Songs," "According to Eve," and "Revelations.". . . fJf Wednesday evening, Dec. 10: "The Lark Ascending," "Cry," and "Car- mina Burana."... fJf Thursday evening, Dec. 1 I: "Night Creature," "Cry," "According to Eve," and "Liberian Suite.". . . fJf Friday eve-- ning Dec. 12: "The Lark Ascending," "Cry," and "Carmina Burana.". . . fjf Saturday mati- née, Dec. 13: "Night Creature," "Love Songs," "Echoes in Blue," and "The Mooche.". . . fJf Saturday evening, Dec. 13: "Hidden Rites," "Cry," "According to Eve,"